A few months later, I was in Florida, testifying before a conservative committee of the state legislature about a bill to allow the sales of wine in grocery stores (supermarkets, etc.)--seems quaint now. . . At lunch, by myself, the waitress (from her accent, a local, and from her shyness, not accustomed to dealing with wine lists) handed me the minimalist not-very-interesting list; seeing my hesitation, she said, "try one from California--they're better; it's official." I really enjoyed that glass of wine, and her remark says a great deal about the impact: We had arrived, for sure.
Great column, how fortunate you were to have known those legends. I heartily recommend Taber's book "Judgment of Paris" -- especially for anyone who watched "Bottle Shock" and assumed that it was historically accurate. (Grgich didn't want to be involved with the making of that movie, hence the substitution of Gustavo Brambila as the winemaker -- even though in real life he was actually doing quality control at the vineyard at that time.)
I met Gustavo Brambila about 9 or 10 years ago when I wrote about Mexican vineyard workers who now own their own wineries. That was another piece in conjunction with the NMAH’s Food and Wine History Project, as it was their theme for their big vintners dinner that year. Brambila was very unassuming and quiet, though he wasn’t at all shy about using Bottle Shock as a marketing tool.
Great article and trip down memory lane Dave. As a college student in ‘78 in Tucson I was working at a very good wine shop. The buzz from the Judgement was in full swing, at least in our little world. So that summer I wound up visiting a friend in Los Gatos and we drove up to Napa Valley and traipsed around for a day. Mondavi was my first winery tour and it was fantastic. And imagine this: you could drive around easily as there were no crowds! 😂 Heinz Cellers was just a small wooden cabin. Thanks for jarring some great wine memories. Cheers!
Great job Dave. Very well written!
A few months later, I was in Florida, testifying before a conservative committee of the state legislature about a bill to allow the sales of wine in grocery stores (supermarkets, etc.)--seems quaint now. . . At lunch, by myself, the waitress (from her accent, a local, and from her shyness, not accustomed to dealing with wine lists) handed me the minimalist not-very-interesting list; seeing my hesitation, she said, "try one from California--they're better; it's official." I really enjoyed that glass of wine, and her remark says a great deal about the impact: We had arrived, for sure.
What a great story! Thanks for sharing it.
The event historically legitimized "New World" wine. Truly revolutionary. Thanks for the excellent summary.
Great column, how fortunate you were to have known those legends. I heartily recommend Taber's book "Judgment of Paris" -- especially for anyone who watched "Bottle Shock" and assumed that it was historically accurate. (Grgich didn't want to be involved with the making of that movie, hence the substitution of Gustavo Brambila as the winemaker -- even though in real life he was actually doing quality control at the vineyard at that time.)
I met Gustavo Brambila about 9 or 10 years ago when I wrote about Mexican vineyard workers who now own their own wineries. That was another piece in conjunction with the NMAH’s Food and Wine History Project, as it was their theme for their big vintners dinner that year. Brambila was very unassuming and quiet, though he wasn’t at all shy about using Bottle Shock as a marketing tool.
Very well done article Dave👍
Great article and trip down memory lane Dave. As a college student in ‘78 in Tucson I was working at a very good wine shop. The buzz from the Judgement was in full swing, at least in our little world. So that summer I wound up visiting a friend in Los Gatos and we drove up to Napa Valley and traipsed around for a day. Mondavi was my first winery tour and it was fantastic. And imagine this: you could drive around easily as there were no crowds! 😂 Heinz Cellers was just a small wooden cabin. Thanks for jarring some great wine memories. Cheers!
Winner Winner, Now A Great Dinner